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Mrs LTS has had a promotion and is now in charge of a bigger piece of the company pie and as such will be based in Paris every week. She was supposed to be there this week, however postponed it because are children started their new school and she wanted to be there for them.

I'm going to invest in a bullet resistant vest (and ceramic plates) and have found a fairly discreet set-up. It really is an insurance policy as we have children and life assurance wouldn't cover her in the event of a terrorist atrocity.

Question is.. how will the security services approach this if she were to walk through customs wearing such an undergarment. I suspect they'll be wearing the same.

Honestly, nothing to do with fear but I am certain lives would have been saved in other circumstances.

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After what happened earlier this year in France the French Police, in Paris at least, got issued new bullet proof vests because the old stuff simply weren't up to stopping AK-47 rounds.

The new kit is so heavy that the officers can barely move. Hot, uncomfortable and heavy.

Also, bullet proof vests are more uncomfoortable for women than they are for men.

On top of which you have to understand that, assuming someone shoots up you and hits you in the area of the vest, it is going to knock you for six. It will probably wind you. It will probably knock you for six and whilst you are trying to gather your senses the bad people can aim again at your head or groin.

Bullets do not bounce off bullet proof vests - unless very low calibre. The embed themselves in the vests or create huge dents in the vest leaving you, as I said, winded and often very bruised. You can have broken ribs and sternum.

I could go on but I won't.

What I mean is - think of some other options. Handguns are legal in France. You can carry a semi-automatic with up to 20 rounds if you have a permit.

I would get your wife to go to a gun range in France and learn how to use a handgun - a Glock 26 as Glocks, in various 9mm sizes, are used by the specialist anti-terrorist Police units in France and, after what happened with Charlie Hebdo, I believe the French Police put in a massive order for Glocks.

This would mean, in a terrorist situation, your wife would at least know how to operate, aim and fire a handgun if she found herself in a situation where such a weapon became available from a wounded police officer.

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All I will say, longtomsilver - is flip this on its head and put yourself in the position of a Parisian in late 2005 being asked to regularly work in London.

Would a bullet proof vest, or even a bomb disposal unit protection suit seem proportionate for working in London then? and now?

Got to say for myself the skill of being able to outrun the rest of the crowd is perhaps more appropriate. Of course, the answer might be different if the missus is in a high profile role which is likely to attract attention from extremists.

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Must admit you sound a little hysterical. Have you let your wife in on your brilliant plan?

If she really does go through with it, couldn't she just pass it through as hand luggage, there is not much security can really complain about, but know doubt they will find it interesting, so they may ask some questions. Could be embarrassing if she is travelling with colleagues.

How long is she there for? Maybe better to tell her to avoid high risk areas, like the metro.

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Must admit you sound a little hysterical. Have you let your wife in on your brilliant plan?

If she really does go through with it, couldn't she just pass it through as hand luggage, there is not much security can really complain about, but know doubt they will find it interesting, so they may ask some questions. Could be embarrassing if she is travelling with colleagues.

How long is she therefore? Maybe better to tell her to avoid high risk areas, like the metro.

Nah, just bung some vibrators, a whip and a strap-on in with it and they will ignore the bullet proof vest.

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OK so maybe not the ceramic plates. The vests are probably ok for indirect hits (ricochets) and light shrapnel. It's completely rational to contemplate doing this. I carry a reserve on my glider for that reason (back-up).

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The other possibility is that this could be an elaborate Columbo-esque murder set up.

Pretend you are concerned for the safety of your life. Pretend to want to accquite a bullet proof vest for her and then hire a contract killer to put two slugs between the eyes whilst she is outside a Parisian coffee shop.

This didn't help a French guy during the battle of Waterloo - a 6lb cannon ball went straight through him. Poor sod.

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A bit? My missus is in Paris every week, she works in a building that has recently been heavily fortified against suicide attacks due to the risk - she'd never dream of wearing any kind of vest, camisole in silk, maybe.

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OK so maybe not the ceramic plates. The vests are probably ok for indirect hits (ricochets) and light shrapnel. It's completely rational to contemplate doing this. I carry a reserve on my glider for that reason (back-up).

I guess its up to her, but I think even the 'ultra discrete' won't look very discrete in real life. Is she really going to be working in aa part of Paris where terrorist want to strike, or some boring old business park on the outskirts (opps just remembered, the outskirts are more dangerous than the inner city!!).

I guess she will have to go out to dinner etc. with her team if she is senior, so avoiding public places may be hard.

Even after Friday night is Paris really more prone to a terrorist attack than London?